nov 1, 1503 - The Election of Pope Julius II
Description:
The School of Athens (Raphael, 1509-11)
Even though the commandment against idolatry had by then lost its iron grip over the production of images, Raphael’s fresco glamorizing the philosophers of Antiquity including statues of Apollo and Athena is a remarkable presence in the Vatican. Though the Church had long been a great patron of the arts, its patronage would reach new heights under Julius II but this was also the beginning of what would be called a corruption of the Church’s ideals. Julius used his papal power to wage war, inviting praise for his shrewdness from Machiavelli, he was also the first to order the spread of Catholicism in the Americas. He also began the process of selling indulgences using these to fund artistic projects like School. The choice of subjects in School isn’t necessarily heretical, major Christian theologians like Augustine and Aquinas heavily drew upon Plato and Aristotle, but this fresco demonstrates that reason, art and pragmatic considerations were beginning to overshadow the divine law of the Church.
Added to timeline:
An Overview of Important Historical Events In Europe From the Late Medieval to Early Modern Period.
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